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Politics

Chamber: Landfill project stinks

By CHUIN-WEI YAP
Published April 9, 2007

DADE CITY - Typically, chambers of commerce enthusiastically support bringing new businesses to town.

So it comes as a surprise to find the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce joining the opposition to a proposal from a Largo company to bring a landfill to the southeastern fringes of the city.

But the chamber leaders have their reasons: They sense considerable community opposition to the project from businesses and residents.

"They are not too happy about the landfill," said Phyllis Smith, the chamber's executive director. "They want to know more."

The chamber is organizing an informational forum on the issue, tentatively set for April 26, and has joined forces with Dade City Main Street to marshal opposition to the landfill.

Angelo's Aggregate Materials wants to build the landfill, which could eventually cover more than 1,000 acres.

At that size, residents and nearby businesses fear their neighborhood would become a major dumping ground for trash from out-of-county and out-of-state. Angelo's has reportedly volunteered to the county that it would only take in-county trash.

But county officials worry that antitrust laws could rule out such an agreement. As they search for a longer-term solution, officials are exploring options that include a deal to truck Pasco's waste to Osceola and possibly Polk counties.

Pasco's waste incinerator in Shady Hills can't burn the county's trash fast enough. Adding capacity is a costly option, though county officials have not ruled it out.

Dade City residents have already brought their case to the County Commission, arguing for a bigger incinerator instead of a new landfill in east Pasco.

That's what Dade City businesses would prefer, too, Smith said.

Commissioners told them a full slate of options would be publicized in coming months.

The state Department of Environmental Protection is still evaluating the proposal.

At a Dade City Main Street meeting last week, public sentiment swelled against the landfill.

"We all have trash, and we need to get rid of it, but we don't want to be the dumping ground for other counties," said Sean Ashburn, Dade City Main Street's president and owner of SugarCreek gift shop. "That's our biggest concern."

Smith and Ashburn said they also feared the impact on the city's water and environment, should accidents happen at the landfill.

An engineer for Angelo's, John Arnold, has said the landfill would be double-lined, with state-of-the-art technology.

But still, the landfill is a major concern, "business-wise, financial-wise, transportation-wise, water-wise," Smith said.

Opponents of Angelo's are working to collect data that might show a landfill's negative economic effects on local business.

There is also fear in the city that accountability would be sacrificed if a private-sector group were to steward such an environmentally sensitive project.

"Once it's there, what do you do?" Ashburn said. "If it were the government doing it, I'd feel better about it."

Arnold said the proposal is now in a "holding pattern," as the county considers its options.

Angelo's officials and their supporters have sought to allay neighbors' concerns.

They have invited residents to their own information meetings as well as to a tent the company set up at the recent Steeplechase at the Little Everglades Ranch event in Dade City.

"We are good neighbors, and we'll certainly listen to every comment and concern that (residents) have," Arnold said.

Fast Facts:

To learn more

The Dade City Chamber of Commerce's informational meeting on the east Pasco landfill is tentatively scheduled for 6 p.m. April 26 at Pasco Middle School.

Landfill plan

- Angelo's Aggregate Materials proposes a landfill for 92 acres, but it could eventually cover more than 1,000 acres.

- It would accept raw household garbage and other trash, such as construction debris, but not biohazardous material.

- The proposal is under review at the state Department of Environmental Protection and Pasco County.

[Last modified April 9, 2007, 07:57:39]